The new federal law replacing VTEA, the Career and Technical Education
Improvement Act of 2006, or Perkins IV, expands on the goals objectives and accountability measures of Perkins III. The new law emphasizes the need for developing clear career pathways from K 12 through community college CTE program completion and to well paying careers or university programs.
“Programs of study”, which are mandated by the new law, link K-12, community colleges, careers or four year institutions- and provide career pathways so that a student as early as 10 th grade or before can be planning on education and career.
These Programs of Study will require partnerships with K 12 instructors, articulation agreements, career awareness tools and other efforts on the part of both the colleges and the K-12 agencies. Perkins IV also encourages the blending of academic and career technical programs and the integration of instruction to provide students with rigorous curriculum in both the CTE content areas and the
Math, English or other academic area required by the CTE program. Perkins IV requires that academic instructors as well as counselors be included in developing a comprehensive CTE program.
Other changes include an additional requirement to the previous eight required uses to total nine required uses of Perkins 1C Funds. Programs must meet all nine of these required uses by the end of the plan or 2012.
There are five additional permitted uses to the previous fifteen to make up 20
permissive uses.
Funds may be used for these activities when the nine required uses are met.
Core Indicators are negotiated by the State and districts choose to accept them or negotiate their own. For Perkins IV 1C the core indicators are:
 Technical Skill Attainment
 Credential, Certificate, or Degree attainment by program concentrators
 Student retention of Transfer
 Student Placement
 Non Traditional Participation
 Non Traditional Completion
Nine Goals for Perkins IV 1C for the LACCD colleges as stated in the District 5 year plan:
1.
-Improve existing programs to meet business and industry standards
2.
-Develop new and innovative programs and curriculum
To meet this goal, colleges have set aside an Innovation Fund for the development of new CTE programs. New programs are being developed
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in emerging industries such as green technology, sustainable alternative energy, and other high wage high demand occupations.
3.
-Develop additional programs of study with K-12
4.
-Improve student enrollment, retention and completion in CTE programs
5.
-Strengthen support services and provide career awareness for special populations
6.
-Engage business and industry in providing internships, work experience and worksite experience for students
7.
-Gather information from business and industry on hiring and skills needed
8.
-Provide all aspects of career awareness for students
9.
-Obtain student perspective on CTE programs.
The decision to use Perkins funds to enhance and upgrade CTE programs at colleges depends on several factors. If a program is in need of equipment upgrades or new equipment in order to give students the best industry standard experience and the program is in a promising occupational area, Perkins funds are a good funding source to use. Perkins funds are also intended to begin new programs in emerging fields, and to redesign or create new curriculum and purchase new equipment to bring existing programs into alignment with emerging trends in an industry. Perkins funds can also be used to fund essential skills infusion into CTE curriculum, and to provide assistance to students in basic skills/ and English language. Special consideration is given to students in “special populations” by Perkins IV, and the funds are intended to make sure that these students have the assistance they need to succeed in CTE programs.
The funds are not intended to be used year after year to support the same activities.
The supplement not supplant regulation with regard to Perkins Funds:
If the expenditure in question was paid for in the past with general funds, it is fairly certain that it cannot be paid for with Perkins funds. (There are exceptions) If the expenditure is for an activity or item that is usually provided by the college, such as a graduation event, maintenance, furniture, instruction for classes that have been paid for by the college in the past, that expenditure would be considered supplanting and should not be charged to Perkins.
If the activity is to enhance the program effectiveness of a CTE program, provide professional development for CTE faculty and administrators, upgrade equipment to industry standard, provide assistance for CTE students in special populations, provide tutoring for CTE students, enhance and design new curricula, these are expenses that supplement the general fund and so are generally allowable. These are only some examples. A more comprehensive description of allowable costs for federal funds is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a21_2004.html
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